When Do You See the Best Results from Hair Loss Treatment?'

Name: Shaun

Question: When do you see the best results from hair loss treatment for Male Pattern Baldness? Is it true it can take two years for the results to come through? Also, does it depend on how old you are when you start losing your hair? I'm 23 and am just starting to see thinning mostly around my hairline.

Answer: Hi, Shaun. Unfortunately there isn't a straightforward answer to your question as there are many variables involved in Male Pattern Baldness.

However, we can give you a rough guide to the stages of results from hair loss treatment, based on moderate levels of hair thinning - as follows - but do bear in mind that everyone responds differently to their course, so this information simply represents an average timeline for Belgravia clients.

- Possible increased hair shedding (4 6 weeks, usually only from high strength minoxidil though finasteride shedding is also possible)

- Hair loss stabilisation (2 8 weeks)

- Thickening of hair regrowth in the affected areas (3 12 months)

- Maintenance of improved hair (12 months )

Although this is how we have seen treatment to work in the majority of cases, any chance of hair regrowth and improvements to clients' hair density tends to happen within the first six months; this can continue past the initial six months but hair growth may be slower than during this initial period.

As genetic hair loss is a permanent and progressive condition for which there is no cure, on-going treatment is necessary to continually ward off its effects and maintain results.

The factors that tend to influence the time it can take for someone to respond to treatment include the pattern and how extensive the shedding is when help is first sought. For example, if you have a receding hairline it may take longer to regrow than a thinning crown given hair around the temples is the slowest to regrow.

Also, obviously the more hair loss there is, the longer it may take to see results from treatment. That said, two years is an unusually long length of time to see any changes and we would expect 12 months to be the maximum period for severe hair thinning.

It is generally the case that the earlier on an intervention is staged, via the use of clinically-proven male hair loss solutions, the more likely a positive outcome will be seen sooner rather than later.

Another crucial aspect for getting the most out of your treatment is to ensure it is used routinely, exactly as and when prescribed. Missing doses, over-using or under-using medication will not help you to achieve the desired results - consistency is key.

At 23 years of age you are young enough that you should be able to get a handle on things in a timely manner. But, as before, everyone is different so without being able to assess you, we cannot comment as to your specific chances of experiencing results from hair loss treatment, especially within a set timeframe.

If you would like a personal consultation with a dedicated hair loss specialist, this can be done in person at one of our London locations, or by completing the Online Consultation form which allows you to upload photos.